Pride Goeth Before the FallAlternate Ending
by Code LJ
Summary: As promised, this is the alternate ending to the original story, which would start after "chapter 50."  Please let me know what you you think/which you preferred!
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: Okay, so for those that didn't like the ending of "Pride Goeth Before the Fall," here is your alternate ending. This starts after Chapter 50, when Lady Jaye visited Destro at the prison. I'm a sucker for "happily ever afters" as well, so here's what else was playing out in my mind while writing. I hope you enjoy (especially if you didn't agree with the other ending!). _

Grunt and Stealth met her at the door, and they walked out together in silence. Her mind was racing with the information her uncle had given her. She was starting to feel less guilty about what she had become….or at least, thought she had become.

She cast a sidelong glance at her companions. Was it true, like Destro had said, that their thirst for the kill had rubbed off on her? That to be away from it would help lessen her own hunger and delight in the hunt? God, she hoped so!

If she was having doubts and guilt, she reasoned, she wasn't totally the monster she had assumed she had become. If she wasn't the monster, then why sign on for another year? Then again, she frowned, what was out there waiting for her? Sure, she could go back to MARS and work for the family, or she could rejoin MI-6. They had already been asking her to come back full-time, after she had taken a year's hiatus from the organization.

Neither one appealed to her, she realized. No, the one thing that did…well, that wasn't going to happen. The sigh escaped her lips before she could suppress it.

Stealth looked at her, one eyebrow raised. "Troubles, princess?" he asked her.

"Just reflecting on things," she admitted.

He was about to speak again when his attention was diverted by a shadowy figure waiting by their car. He frowned. What now? They had taken care of everything back at the wedding….or so he had assumed.

He felt Grunt tense and knew he had noticed the figure as well. He glanced at Alison and realized she, too, had noticed the figure, but her body language was…strange. She wasn't prepared for attack, he realized, so she must recognize the figure. Great. Just what they needed – another distraction. He and Grunt had sworn to protect and guide her…as well as convince her to sign on for another year of duty. So far, they had been most successful with that.

"Dash?" she asked, and Stealth's eyes narrowed. This was the last person they wanted to see.

Flint stepped forward into the glow of the security light.

"Allie, I need to talk to you." His voice was rough and Stealth detected a note of desperation. Not good for them, and he could see by Grunt's hard look he agreed.

"We don't have time for this," he heard Grunt mutter to Alison, and he agreed. What was wrong with this human? Couldn't he take no for an answer?

She held up a hand. "Just a moment," she murmured. "I want to hear what he has to say." She smiled indulgently at the two. "I know we need to leave, but…just give us a moment in private, okay?"

She stepped forward to meet with the human male, and Grunt and Stealth reluctantly stayed where they were. At Grunt's nod, he too held his hand on his weapon, ready to rid themselves of this pest once and for all should he make a wrong move.

"I don't have much time," Allie stated, arms crossed over her chest in a defensive move.

"I know," he said, running a nervous hand through his hair. "I just couldn't let you leave with the way things are."

"And how are they?" she asked, arching a brow in a mirror image of Stealth's earlier move.

He glanced at the two behind her and sighed. "Isn't there somewhere we can go, for coffee, or a drink? Somewhere where we're not chaperoned?"

She glanced at her watch. "I wish we could," she said, the wistfulness creeping into her voice, "but I have a deadline I have to attend. I wish…." she paused, her voice apologetic.

He sighed again. "Look, I just want to say…." This time, it was he who paused, not sure how to put the words together so that she would understand. So that she would stay.

She squashed the glimmer of hope she had begun to feel. Hadn't this happened before, only to turn out all wrong? "You didn't follow me all this way for nothing. Out with it," she snapped, irritated. Why was he doing this to her? Again? Did he really need to rehash this all again with her?

"This isn't exactly going the way I wanted," he admitted sheepishly. "I was hoping we could go somewhere and talk." He made a swooping gesture with his arm. "I hadn't envisioned us discussing this in the middle of a parking lot at a prison!"

She glanced at her watch. "Look, I need to fly out….well, now. Why don't you drive me to the airstrip in your car and we can talk along the way?" I'll give him that much, she thought, but not any more.

"I don't think that's a wise decision," Grunt spoke, stepping forward. "We're on a tight schedule and if you're not back on time…."

She sighed, rolling her eyes. "You have a better suggestion? Look, I'll drive if that's what you're worried about. You can follow us there, or lead. I really don't care which, as long as we get going!"

The two demons seemed to communicate silently to one another before they finally, reluctantly, nodded. "We'll follow," Stealth said grudgingly.

"Fine," sighed Allie, tired of the back and forth. She looked at Flint. "Which car?"

He waved his hand at a rental which had seen better days and handed her the keys.

She glanced over at the plush sports car they had driven and shrugged. She had driven worse than this little rental, although it sure as hell wouldn't be as fun to drive as theirs.


	2. Chapter 52

She climbed in and immediately started the car, clicking her seat belt into place. As soon as Flint closed the door on his side, she put the car in gear and drove out of the lot and through the security gate. Once past that, she revved the engine and pushed the speed limit down the lonely highway.

"Okay, talk," she finally said after a few moments of silence.

"Just getting used to your driving again," he admitted, sucking in a breath as she changed lanes at the last moment, passing a slower car.

"Sorry," she muttered, shifting into a lower gear. "That better?"

"Been taking driving lessons from Courtney?" he tried to joke, and was pleased when he saw a glimmer of a smile on her face. It had been a long time since he had seen one of her genuine smiles.

"Allie," he began, knowing his time was limited. The airstrip she referred to was only about 10 more minutes down the road. "I…" God, he wished he had a drink in his hand or something to give him a bit more courage!

She stayed silent, knowing he was trying to put the words together for whatever it was he was going to say. The English major, she rolled her eyes at the thought, waiting for a quote from some author or poet that he usually worked in.

He surprised her by using his own words. "I've really screwed up," he admitted. "Big time." He sighed, knowing that, for once, words were alluding him. "I've royally screwed up both of us, and I admit that. I was so focused on establishing a relationship for us outside of GI Joe, to make it work outside of GI Joe," he confessed. "I was afraid that once we were out, well, that you would see things the way they were….and leave."

She looked puzzled, glancing over at him before returning her attention back to the road. "What do you mean, see things the way they really were?"

"I'm not stupid. I realize the kind of life you've been used to…well, nearly all your life! I couldn't provide for you that way. How soon would you have left me when you realized I could maybe provide for a one bedroom apartment with no frills? I mean," he quickly continued before she could interrupt, "I saved money over the years, but nothing like a Park Avenue penthouse!"

"Where did you get the impression that's what I wanted?" she asked slowly, surprised by his insecurities, especially when it came to her.

They both noticed the sign for the airport ahead, stating they had 5 miles left.

"It's what you've always been used to! Isn't that why you kept your place in New York? I mean, I know you subleased it, but hadn't you been planning on returning to it someday?"

"Maybe," she shrugged. "Honestly, though, with real estate being the way it is, it's easier to sublet than sell."

She glanced at him again. "My turn," she said as he began to open his mouth again. He quickly shut it again.

"I never asked you what kind of life we'd lead outside GI Joe because frankly, it didn't matter to me…as long as we were together. As for the one-bedroom…hell, no one claimed you had to be the sole provider. That's actually pretty masochist of you, isn't it? I mean, I always assumed these things were more 50-50." She paused. "I can't believe you thought I was that materialistic."

He frowned, his brows drawing together. "I wasn't thinking of you being materialistic, just, well…you're very traditional….you like things you're used to. I figured…."

"You figured wrong," she interrupted, turning into the parking lot for the airstrip. "My only wish was for us to be together…I could care less where or how. When you automatically assumed these things about me, never asking me how **I** wanted things to be…. yeah, frankly, that pisses me off," she said slowly, shifting the car into park. Grunt and Stealth pulled in beside her.

"Allie," he said, his voice pleading….something she rarely heard from him, "I don't want you to do this. I want us to try again. I know I can't erase the past year or things I've said or done….but….I can't live without you!" His words were rushed, knowing he was out of time, his voice cracking with the emotion he felt.

She regarded him, her face carefully impassive. Inside, though, she was a churning mass of emotions. Yes! part of her wanted to scream, throwing herself in his arms. The voice of doubt, however, asked her why he was doing this? He had an entire year to find her as well as several attempts to rectify everything before now. Why here? Why now?

Grunt opened her door. "We all done here?" he asked, his voice implying that it was. He reached out a hand to help her out of the car.

"Just a moment," she said in an authoritative tone. Grunt took a step back, leaning against the car next to hers, his look impatient.

Allie turned back to Flint. "Dash," she began, finding she was now the one with a loss for words. Biting her lip, she asked the question. "Why now?"

"Because something tells me if you leave now….I may never see you again."

"And that would be a bad thing?" she asked, wanting to know.

His eyes filled with pain. "Allie, I've screwed up, I know that, and you can make me pay in 1,001 ways. I deserve it. Just please….don't go with these guys. Give me one more chance."

She pushed back the tears that threatened with the anguish in his voice, restraining herself from reaching out.

"I don't have a choice," she told him. "I have to go with them."

"What can I do to make you see that I'm telling the truth?" he whispered.

She shrugged. "I don't know. We're both not the same people we were a year ago. A lot has changed. I've changed, and so have you. Who's to say we'd even want to be with one another now?"

Grunt cleared his throat loudly and she sighed.

"I'm heading home. You can find me there and finish this conversation if you want. You need to give me a couple of days, though. If you're there, we can talk things out. If not," she shrugged again. "I guess we'll have our answer then."

"But where…"

She waved a hand at him. "If you really want to, you can find it. It's not hard," she said, knowing he'd never been to her father's place…now hers…before. Granted, it was in the middle of nowhere, deep in the moors by a small town that wasn't even big enough to be on a map….but if he really wanted to be with her, he'd make the effort and find her.

"One week," she gave him. "If I don't hear from you in that time….well, then, I guess we'll both know."

"One week," he repeated, watching as she slammed the door and walked off, disappearing through the gates, her two shadows by her side.


	3. Chapter 53

"That was a mistake," Grunt told her in an even tone as she prepared her jet for takeoff.

She shrugged, not really wanting to talk about it. "If I didn't hear him out now, he'd just keep bugging me," she answered, hoping that would end it.

She got her clearance from the tower and took off. Sighing happily, she began to relax. Flying at night was one of her favorite times. There was something about the blackness, lit only by the stars, that set her mind at ease.

Grunt felt the tension leave her body and decided now was the time to pursue the matter.

"He can't give you what you want," he told her matter-of-factly. "Do you really want to open yourself up to all that hurt, all that pain again?"

She shrugged again, really not wanting to talk about it. Already, niggling little stabs of doubt were penetrating her well-being.

"We'll see in a week," she simply replied. Oh god, how she hoped he would find her! He had enough resources at his disposal to find her, she knew. It was whether he felt it was worth it.

Grunt shook his head. "And what if he doesn't come? What if he does? Will that really change anything?"

She was tired of shrugging. "Probably not, but that's for me to decide," she said, her voice growing hard. "I'm really tired of discussing it."

Grunt smiled to himself. As long as she kept that small voice of doubt in her mind, as long as she felt defensive about the matter….well, then, his job was done.

He stood up and stretched. "I'm going to go get something to drink. Need anything?"

"I'm good," she replied, her attention back on the night sky. "Thanks anyway."

He left her, hoping the doubt inside her would continue to grow with the silence.

Her mind instead turned to the ceremony. Would she have the strength to say no if they asked her to continue? Did she want to say no? The last year hadn't been so bad. In fact, Grunt and Stealth weren't bad companions. She'd actually had fun with them at times, she thought, chuckling at some of the memories. Her life certainly would not have been as interesting without them!

Her smile faded as she thought of what she had sacrificed in the past year. Sure, she had seen her family and friends, but how many times had she had to cut visits short, or be wary of what would follow her on innocent visits, like to a wedding? She had been threatened more than once by her victims of what fate would befall her, or her family or friends, if they were extinguished. It was one reason why, towards the end, she simply didn't let them talk.

She almost wished for a pen and paper, to make a list of "pros and cons." She rolled her eyes at the thought. Really? Would a piece of paper really weigh her decision for her?

As for the week she had given Flint….her decision would be made before then. Hell, it would be less than 24 hours at this point. What had possessed her to give him a week? If she chose to renew her "contract" for another year, and he showed up…what then? What if she chose not to continue…and he never showed?

She had a lot to think about, a lot of things to weigh and consider, she knew. Too many "what ifs." She blew out a frustrated sigh. Maybe she did need that paper after all. If she laid it all out in front of herself, it would help to see where the balance lay.

It would've been better if Flint had never showed up at all.


	4. Chapter 54

"You've made your decision," Grunt said quietly as they walked to the ancient ruins.

She ran her hand along one of the walls, not answering. He took it as a good sign. If she was still unsure, then they could still persuade her.

He thought again to the conversation he and his partner had last night.

"You know she's expected to say yes, right? It'll be our skins if she doesn't!"

Grunt had rolled his eyes – a bad habit he had picked up from Alison. "I know," he had replied in his quiet manner. "We would've been better off not visiting her uncle at all."

"Well, hell, who knew the guy would show up there? We thought her uncle would help sway her, remember? It wasn't like we had left a trail of breadcrumbs for the guy to follow!"

"We have one more trick up our sleeve. What she doesn't know yet, that could very well sway her in our favor. If not…" he shrugged. "What can they do? We tried. We've already been told she's been one of the best. With our help. The least they can do is reward us!"

Coming back to the present, he gave a quiet nod to his partner as they approached the ceremonial circle in what used to be the great hall. Already he could feel the magic surrounding them.

She hesitated.

_What am I going to say?_ she thought to herself.

_Listen to your heart_, a voice seemed to whisper from inside her.

_A fat lot of good that's done me this year!_ she argued with the voice. _See where it's gotten me?_

She looked at both the "men" next to her. She wanted to say something, anything, but the words wouldn't come. Thank you? No, that wasn't quite right. It's been fun? Well, she _**had**_ enjoyed their company, she admitted to herself. To work with them again…it wouldn't be _**that**_ bad.

Sighing, she knew the hour was drawing near. She could feel it in the air. Momentarily, she closed her eyes, drawing strength from within. _This shouldn't be this hard!_ she thought, frustrated. Opening them again, she stepped forward into the circle.

Immediately, the world changed around her.

The great hall came to life. She could hear, but not see, the figures bustling around her, the clanking of tankards against pewter dishes. It was like stepping back in time.

She looked up at the long table that was set in front of her. Shadowy figures that represented "The Board" sat there, she knew.

"The time has come," announced a strong feminine voice. "Alison, you have spent a year in our service. Your companions," there was a nod to the two demons that stood next to her, "have served you well. We have been watching, my dear," at this the voice softened, "and we are most pleased. So pleased, in fact, that we have quite a special offer in mind for you."

Another voice directed itself towards her companions. "In return for your loyalty, demons, and how well you protected and guided Alison, you shall be granted back one power," a male voice boomed. There was a pause, then, "It is done."

Allie glanced sidelong at the two and saw their satisfied smiles. Yes, this was what they had been waiting for. She wondered what power had been returned. She had to wonder what her "special offer" included. She felt pride raise above her fluttery nerves. For what she had faced this past year, she had done a good job, she concluded.

"Now, Alison," the male voice that had directed itself towards the demons spoke in a softer tone, "we must ask of ye a special question."

Her eyes involuntarily narrowed as she tried to place the voice. It sounded so familiar….she had not heard its tones when she had appeared before the board a year ago.

There was the scraping sound of a chair being pushed back and her eyes widened as she watched one of the shadowy figures step into the sacred circle. This certainly had not happened before as well.

"Will you serve again?" asked the voice, its image blurry, the coming into focus.

Allie gasped. "Daddy?" she whispered incredulously.

He held open his arms and she ran into them, not caring that she was before a powerful board that could reduce her to dust at their merest whim. All she knew was that her dad stood before her, and that he was not a mirage!


	5. Chapter 55

He hugged her tight to him. "Oh, how I have missed you, little one," he whispered, his hands stroking her hair as she held on to him.

"How is this possible?" she asked, her voice muffled by his shoulder.

He gently drew her back, drawing a loving finger down her cheek.

"I, too, once stood in front of the board, like you. They also were well pleased with my journey. However, in that time, I had met a woman and fallen in love."

"Mother," she whispered.

He nodded. "Aye. So, I chose my heart over the skill and magic the board had offered to me. It gave me you," he sighed, "so it was well worth it. When I passed on, I found that I was still remembered, and I was offered another position."

"How is it that I haven't seen you?" she asked, puzzled.

He shook his head sadly. "Unfortunately, I cannot pass beyond these magical barriers. I am unlike the others in that way. I have, however, been able to watch you, my dear. I must say, I am so proud of the woman you have become!"

She smiled, feeling the need to keep holding onto him, in case he disappeared like a dream. "Thank you, Da. That means a lot."

He sighed. "I wish I could help you make your decision, little one. I know what I would tell you," he chuckled, "but I am a selfish old man. To be able to see you again, to hold you, little one…it's been well worth it."

She glanced at the table where the board sat silent, then back at her father. "So if I choose to serve again, I'll be able to see you?"

He nodded. "If you volunteer your services, your power will grow and you will be able to pass between worlds much easier. And yes," he smiled, squeezing her hand, "we could spend more time together."

She bit her lip, a crease appearing in her brow. "So if I chose to serve again, it's like I have my father back."

He noticed the tear in her eye she was trying to hide by bowing her head. Lifting her chin with his fingers, he asked, "What is it, little one?"

She was afraid to speak. How could she say goodbye to her father a second time? Knowing she had the chance to spend more time with him….an eternity, it seemed they were offering….

He sighed. "I'm afraid you're more like your old man than you give yourself credit for," he admitted softly. "You still love him, don't you?"

She blinked back tears. "I don't know if he loves me in return."

He gave her a sad smile. "Alison, I've been watching you most of your life. You're a very decisive, if not stubborn," he playfully tapped her nose, "child. If you have any doubt, any at all…."

"How can I…?"

He shook his head sadly, already knowing her answer. "Go to him, child. We will see one another again, although I hope that it will be after a long and happy life for you."

She searched her father's eyes, hurting because he was.

"I love you, Daddy," she said, hugging him tight.

She straightened and faced the board. "I'm sorry. I know it's a wonderful opportunity, but I have to say no."

"Very well, then, Alison," the strong female voice replied. "We will abide by your wish. You will live out your human life and return to us upon your deathbed. There will come time for another decision then."

She watched her father, as well as the great hall, fade away, until she was standing in the middle of a stone circle surrounded by the ruins of an ancient castle.

She fell to her knees, tears filling her eyes. Had she made the right decision? Had she given up a chance to be with her father for all eternity?

"Allie?" called a voice, and she looked up, confused.

A beam of light hit the wall next to her and she blinked, lost for a moment.

"Allie! Your housekeeper told me you'd be here," the voice came again, sounding relieved as the flashlight illuminated her.

She heard it drop and was immediately enveloped in his arms.

"Dash?" she asked, confused. "What are you doing here?"

"I know you said a week," he confessed in a sheepish voice, "but I couldn't wait that long. What are you doing out here, alone, in these ruins?"

She let him help her up, and she brushed off the dirt from her knees. Glancing around her at the ruins, she gave a sad smile. "Saying goodbye," she answered cryptically.

He looked confused, than an understanding gleam came to his eyes. "Oh," he merely said.

She leaned into him, and he brushed a kiss over the top of her head. "I know you said a week, love, but I was so scared I was going to lose you."

"So you found me," she whispered against his chest, comforted by the steady rhythm of his heart.

"I've been such an idiot," he told her, "and I know I can't take this last year back, but…."

He fumbled in his pocket and came up with a ring. Realizing she couldn't see it as the moon went behind the clouds, he squeezed her hand before letting her go to fetch the flashlight that lay on the floor just beyond his reach.

"It may not be the ideal place, but this thing has been burning a hole in my pocket for over a year," he sighed.

Realizing what he was doing, she smiled. "Oh, I don't know. It might be more fitting than you think."

He went down on one knee, wincing at the uneven rocks and stone under him. "Alison Hart-Burnett, will you marry me? I promise to try not to be such a jerk if you'll promise to forgive me if I do."

She laughed. "Not quite the most romantic proposal but," she held out a hand to help him up, "I think it'll work."

"So is that a yes?" he asked her, feeling breathless for some reason.

She smiled. "Yes," she replied, and he swept her up in his arms, giving a loud, joyful shout.

She glanced back at the ruins as she climbed into the jeep he had parked in the rutted path below. She smiled. Maybe I did make the right decision, Daddy, she told him silently, hoping he could hear her. Even if she couldn't be with him, at least she knew he was watching out for her.

"You ready?" he asked her, climbing into the driver's seat.

She wondered at the many interpretations of that question.

For an answer, she leaned over and kissed him. "As ready as I'll ever be," she replied after a few moments.

"This time," he told her, a smile in his voice, "how about I let you lead the way."


End file.
